Bombay HC raps AAI over nod to Metro wires in funnel area
A division bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre rapped the AAI for shirking its responsibility.
Mumbai: A day after a chartered aircraft crashed in Ghatkopar, killing five people, including four crew, the Bombay high court has directed the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take a call on an application filed by Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) to construct overhead wires for metro 2B line near Juhu airport. According to the application, Airport Authority of India (AAI) in March gave permission to tie overhead wires of metro 2B, falling in the funnel area (path of take-off) with the wires exceeding the prescribed limit by 11 cm in height, with the condition that MMRDA must take high court's permission as well.
A division bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre rapped the AAI for shirking its responsibility. The court said: “This area falls within the same area where Thursday’s incident took place. We can’t allow one centimetre construction over prescribed limit. It could be dangerous.” The court added: “We cannot put citizen’s life at risk.”
On Friday, MMRDA counsel S B Talekar informed the court that on March 28 AAI had given us permission because the height violation was only 11 centimetres. He said that the prescribed limit is 16.65 meters but the overhead wires reach up to 16.76 meters.
After perusing the said application the court said: “It is the same area where yesterday's plane had taken off. It is the funnel area where applicant is seeking height violation should be allowed. Why does the AAI want such orders from the court? You (AAI) need to take responsibility what is going around in your area. We don't want to be part of such decisions. Anything that endangers the life of the public can't be considered like this.”
The Bombay high court rapped authorites further over not paying heed to citizens’ safety and putting lives at risks over the permission granted to Metro-2B overhead wires against violations.
The high court said: “What you (the authorities) need to do is decide whether you want to act now and set up safe infrastructure for even small flights to take off and land safely or continue to put lives at risk as we have been doing until now.”
The judges then referred to the plane crash. “And don't leave such decisions to the high court. If it is left to us, we will not grant any permission for new construction that comes in the way of air safety.”